Weeks Fly By as if they were Days

Hey! This week was great! My new companion is named Anziano Hurlburt. He is a new convert of 2 years and he is from Charleston, South Carolina. He is a really good missionary. We get along well! So it has been fun trying to teach him everything. It has been fun seeing where I was at the beginning of the mission and seeing how much things change with time. He is already pretty good at the language already, but we are trying to speak the language a lot so that he can learn more. He always teases me because I word things weird in english and forget words in english. That's what happens after serving with an Italian who doesn't speak english. It is fun showing him all our investigators, the culture, the food and just missionary ropes in general. He knows the bible pretty well being from the bible belt. No one else in his family is a member but he all said they support him and his decision to serve a mission. So we have just been getting into the swing of things. We are supposed to do two hours of companionship study with new missionaries who are in their first 2 transfers plus one hour of language study each day. So it's been a little different for the both of us. General Conference was amazing! Yes, we got to watch the whole thing in english! I loved so many talks but my favorites were by Elder Holland and Elder Oaks laying down the law. It was sweet! I also enjoyed Elder Cooks talk and that one talk about the temple and how everything has to be perfect. I can't wait to print them off and read them again! I have started a collection of all the best talks that I have gotten my hand on throughout the mission. It's pretty big. It has started to rain here lately the last summer and last general confrence of my mission has sadly come to an end. WIERD! Time out here does not seem to slow down. Weeks fly by as if they were days. Our investigators are doing good. We hope that conference was a good push for them. 3 of them came. Which isn't too bad! Hopefully they had questions answered to their prayers. I'm sure they did. How is everyone at home? Anything new happening or has it been pretty normal. Well I think my companion is anxious to see Italy so I have got to run! Ciao!! Love you all!

I Am Training!

I'm going to be a Dad!!! Haha I am training! I am way excited! I have wanted to train forever and I am so glad that I get to this transfer! I will miss Anziano Alessandro a lot but I am really really excited to train. Haha Anziano Alessandro is leaving today. So I will be with Anziano Bradshaw for the rest of the day and then tomorrow morning my son is arriving from Rome at the train station at about noon. So that will be fun. I don't even know his name or anything about him until tomorrow morning. So I'll let you know all the details next week. I'm sure he is going to be great. Other than that Anziano Alessandro has just been getting ready to leave by visting members and investigators. It has been kind of hard for him saying goodbye, it always is that way with your first city. He will be serving in Pescara. Sorella Clark in our district will be going to Rome 1 and Sorella Comollo will be training as well. So our district will be pretty young with 2 missionaries in their first transfer and 1 in his 2nd. Other than that I don't have much news for you. I'm just super excited. Sounds like you all had a great time at Grandpas. Yes I did write the letter I am just waiting for the pictures to devolop as well so I can send some. Well I better run! Love you all tons! have a great week!

DaD

Giuliano Got Baptized

Me and Anziano Alesssandro

Anziano Alessandro, Giuliano and me

Hey!! Giuliano got baptized!! He wasn't sure last Saturday and then told us he would tell us later in the week, so we told him to pray about it. Then on Thursday we got a call from him and he said that he wanted to get baptized on Saturday because he needs the blessing in his life. So he got baptized and everything went perfect! I'll be sure to send pictures! It was great and the members have been really supportive of him! It has been really cool seeing him apply the teachings of the gospel in his life and slowly change for the better. He really seems a lot happier now. Then on Monday we did an exchange with the Anziani in Foggia. I went with Anziano Jones and Anziano Alessandro went to Foggia to do the exchange with Anziano Nelson. It is Anziano Jones first transfer and he is a really good missionary. He speaks the language very well for his first transfer. So we had a good day of teaching our investigators and the usual finding. Other than that my companion has just been slowly healing from getting his wisdom tooth pulled, poor guy. But he has been a trooper and has pushed through it wanting to get out there and work. So we are really hoping that the members will get more excited about missionary work after this baptism and we are always looking for new ways to find people. I am jealous of the picture Dad sent me! Looks like he had a good time! Haha How long was he there for! Tell him to get back to work! ha I'm glad he got a nice little break. Well today we got together with the other missionaries to play soccer. It was a lot of fun! Anziano Badger and I always talk about doing crazy man stuff when we get back. We are going to go bow hunting and even possibly spear hunting and we are going to grow out a beard. Don't worry... It won't be too long. Well I hope all is well at home! Are you all getting ready for Halloween yet? Are the haunted houses open yet? I miss em! Well I love you tons!!! Have a great week!

Time is Flying

Hey! Yesterday we had Zone conference. It was really great. We had like 10 missionaries stay at our house so it was a little crazy, but we had a good time! The week has mainly been working with our investigators with a baptismal date. It is looking like we will have one of them on the 22nd if everything goes as planned. Fratello Carlucci has just continued to help us a lot. I hope you don't mind that I have been inviting some Italians to come stay at our house on vacation after the mission.. If it's not alright, we will figure something out. The members have finally returned so I was able to meet everyone. The members are great. Most of them seem just like members back at home. We started our english course up and we had an alright turn out for the first day. There was about 20 people and we are hoping that more turn up this next week. We have done a lot of publicity for that. The mission has really been trying to focus on setting baptismal dates lately, so we have really been working hard on that, trying to invite all of our investigators and people that are interested in the Church to be baptized. Sounds like you all had a good time in St. George. I'm glad you had a good break. I guess this week I hit my six month mark! That is scary! Time is flying. I still truly feel like I'm a new missionary. I see all of these new missionaries at the Zone Conference and it freaks me out because I'm still the young one! I love the mission it has been an incredible experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have met some incredible people that I will be friends with for the rest of my life. That's exciting all the work you have done on the kitchen. I'm sure it looks great. I wish I could help out. No I really don't feel like I need anything everything is going good. Yeah it would probably be best to send everything to the mission office. Just because they are always there and its hard for it to get lost in Rome. But thanks anyway! Yes I did get the letter with Colton's greaduation announcement! I can't believe he is finished. Is he enjoying the summer? Wow that is cool that Dad talked to Elder Holland! He is awesome. He is very straight forward and isn't afraid to speak the truth. It also sounds like things are going well in the football world! You will have to wish good luck to Harrison and Alex for me! I am sure they are doing great! Anyway better run! Love you tons and thanks for writing!

Things are looking Pretty Promising

Bari is great. It has been nice getting in the swing of things lately. I feel like I already know the area pretty well and know all of our investigators as well. They are all great. Right now we have 4 baptismal dates and we are hoping that we will set 2 more this week. Things are looking pretty promising. The members here are great as well. One of my favorites is a member named Brother Carlucci. He is an incredible member. He is about 83 years old and tries to come to a lot of our lessons. He is always helping out with the missionary work.  Me and Anziano Alessandro seem to get along well. He is a very good teacher and is a good hard worker. Next Tuesday is our zone confrence so we are looking forward to that. I guess all the missionaries stay with us. So we will have about 10 missionaries to pick up after. Hopefully they won't make to big of a mess. But nothing much has happened this week. The weather is slowly getting nicer so the people are getting more friendly. Haha I didn't leave a mess. I cleaned up all my stuff. And Anziano Marengo wanted to catch the bus early, I told him that we should stay and clean but he insisted that we take the bus early so I was kind of obligated. But I promise it wasn't me. haha I like a clean house. I hope that Anziano Miller is enjoying training! I heard his companion is a good missionary. Anyway today I think we are going to go to play soccer with the other Anziani. I think next week we are going to go to a place called Albero Bello. Which I hear is incredibly beautiful. So that should be fun. Anyway I have got to run the other Anziani are waiting on us to come play soccer. So I wish you well. Love you all! Have a great week!

I really like it here!

Bari is great! I really like it here! It is a lot more calm here than Palermo and Rome. The people seem really great and open to talking with us. We set  2 baptismal dates the first day here. We have been inviting everyone to get baptized its been working out great. In Malta we set a baptismal date right on the street and in Sciacca we set two right on the street as well. So the work here is going good. Hopefully we can keep it going. Anziano Alessandro is great. We seem to get along pretty good. It is nice to speak Italian all the time. It took me a few days to get used to his accent but I am pretty used to it now. The members are nice as well, at least all the ones I met. Everyone is on vacation. There is a ward here but it is the smallest one I have been in so far. I really like serving in the bigger cities, so I am pretty lucky to be in another fairly big one. I am in the same district as Sorella Comollo again. She has been in my same district for 5 transfers. The other Sorella in our ward is Sorella Clark. They are both great. Hopefully we can help the ward here grow. The food here is good! They have a food called panzerotti which are like a type of Italian hot pocket, they are amazing! Also Anziano Alessandro likes to cook and he makes some great pasta dishes. It has been nice having an Italian cook. Ha The weather here is a bit cooler than it was at Palermo. Plus everyone says it starts to cool down in september. We are getting ready to start an english course here. And I hear that we work with the young single adults alot here, so we play soccer with them and our investigators. Which reminds me, one of the boys came to it and we started teaching him and his family! We invited them to be baptized and he didn't yes but he didn't say no. So we consider it a success. Sounds like everything is going well at home. Anziano Miller is great! Haha How was it going out to dinner with his parents? Oh yeah I love mopping now! Haha... I want to send you some videos but I'm not sure how I could get them to you all. Well today for preparation day we are going to Bitonto to make and eat pizzas with the missionaries there. Should be fun! Anyway love you tons! Ciao!!

I am going to go to Bari!

Happy Birthday Mother!!! I can't believe it is your Birthday today!! What are you going to do?! Hope you have the greatest day ever! I can't believe next year I will be able to be there with you celebrating and eating lots of cheese cake! Tanti auguri a te! Tanti auguri a te! Tanti auguri cara Madre! Tanti auguri a te!! Be sure to do something spontaneous but try not to get into trouble with the law. I truly couldn't have a better Mother! You have always been there for me and have always strengthened my testimony. I am tooo blessed to have such a great family! Make sure that you spend the day together. Love you tons!!  So I am going to go to Bari! Anziano McMullen and I are both getting booted out!  Anziano McMullen is going to Terni close to Rome. I will really miss him! We will be friends forever. My new companion is Anziano Alessandero. He is from Bolognia, Italy! So I am so excited to be able to learn the language even more and we will be able to speak it all the time because we are in a two man house. I am not a zone leader anymore but I am very grateful for the chance I had to be one. I really feel like I learned a lot and I was able to be around a lot of great missionaries. I am going to be the district leader in Bari so that will be fun. Today we will be leaving at 3 to Catania and I'll be staying the night there and leave tomorrow morning. Sorella Comollo will be in my district again. It's crazy we have been in the same district for four transfers and this will be the 5th. It was really hard saying goodbye to all the members. They are all so great and I am going to miss them a ton!  But I hear that the members in Bari are great to! I think that I am really going to love Bari. I am glad you got the pictures. Haha Yeah that shirt was on sale for 5 euro so I figured why not. The girls in the picture with me are members the one on the right is doing her papers to go on a mission. Her uncle was my seminary teacher at Alta. Brother Jackson. Small world.  Should be fun going to dinner with the Millers. I love Anziano Miller I am going to miss him. His parents sound great! I can't wait to hang out with him after the mission! Well I better run I love you all a ton and I hope you have a great week!!! Ciao!!

Trapani Exchange Mistretta

Trapani

Malta

Enjoying pizza in Malta

Anziano Lemmon and the pizza arch in Malta Apartment
 

Anziani in Malta

Me with a cool hot dog we found in Sciacca

Anziano Miller with Salvo and our best great friend Laura from English course

Bowling with members and friends.  Me with Genevra and Micol

A float in Sciacca